arch form

Arch form creates a symmetrical structure where the second half reverses the order of the first half, with a unique central section at the apex. Béla Bartók was the most systematic user of arch form, employing it in his Fourth and Fifth String Quartets, Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta, and the Concerto for Orchestra. The form creates a sense of departure and return on a large scale, with the central movement serving as the dramatic focal point.